Louvered shade structure



Dec. 4, 1951 l.. s. EscHRlcH 2,577,317

LOUVERED SHADE STRUCTURE Filed .July s1, 194e 5 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 4, 1951 1 s. EscHRlcH 2,577,317i

LOUVERED SHADE STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 Filed July 31, 194e INVENTOR. Y Leroy Eelzfjclz gym" M ATTORNEYS.

-5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 3l, 1946 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 4, 1951 l.. s. EscHRlcl-l LOUVERED SHADE STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 3l, 1946 @azahar Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUVERED SHADE STRUCTURE Leroy S. Exclu-ich, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application July 31, 1946, Serial No. 687,291

8 Claims. (Cl. 108-3)v This invention relates to awning umbrellas and more particularlyy to umbrellas made of metal,

' such as thin aluminum or other light steel or composite metal, and it is among the objects thereof to provide a metal lawn umbrella which shall be of light weight and durable, of ornamental constructions, and designed to be prefabricated in sections or parts for assembly rat the place of use to facilitate packing and shipping of such umbrellas.

It is still a further object of the invention to design metal lawn umbrellas of parts fabricated and designed to produce the desired umbrella shape and curvature by the act of assembling the parts on the umbrella support.

Another object of the invention is to provide an umbrella design made of slats or louvers of substantially dove-tail construction with alternate louvers oppositely disposed to bring their iiange portions in interacting relationship to provide for the circulation of air between the louver members directly underneath the roof of the umbrella and to prevent the ingress of rain as by splashing at the joints of the louver parts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an annular girder design for supporting the roof or louvers of the umbrella, which is prefabricated in strip form and in sections of suitable length for handling which are bent to an annular shape by the act of assembling the sections, the girder. being provided with screw holes which, in the finished annular girder form, register with complementary spaced holes in the louver members. Y

Still another object of the invention is to construct a metal lawn umbrella of relatively thin light gauge metal having flanged louvers in which the ange portions are cut so that when the ends are bentl down to form the valance of the umbrella the cut-out portions substantially abut to form a continuance of the flange.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of louvers having side flanges in which the flange portions may be cut away for receiving the ends of a curved shaped rib with which said flanges interact and which, in the assembly of the rib to the louver anges, effects the proper shaping of the louver to form the valance of the umbrella.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of preshaped louver flange supporting and shaping ribs which are of a dimension to permit contact of the ends of adjacent top and bottom louvers while eiecting a separation of said coacting louvers toward the direction of the umbrella slope to provide air circulating vents between the top and bottomlouvers.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a lawn umbrella embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 avertical cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, of a portion of the umbrella shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4 4, Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 a vertical section taken through the valance of the lawn umbrella;

Fig. 6 a sectional elevational view of the joint of the upper louvers and the annular girder;

Fig. 7 a similar view of a Joint of the lower louver and the annular girder;

Fig. 8 a top plan view of the supporting girder partially formed to its annular shape;

Fig. 9 a section through the louvers showing an alternate form of assembly to the girder support;

Fig. l0 a top plan view of a blank for forming the bottom louver;

Fig. 11 a cross-sectional view of the louver when shaped for assembly;

Fig. 12 a top plan view of the blank for forming the top louver;

Fig. 13 a cross-section of the formed louver;

Fig. 14 a side elevational view of the louver shaping and supporting rib at the valance thereof; A

Fig. l5 atop plan view of a portion of the rib of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 an end elevational view of the rib of Fig. 14;

Fig'. 17 an enlarged detail of the end of the shaping rib of Fig. 14;

Fig. 18 a side elevational view of the umbrella;

Fig. 19 a cross-sectional view, taken along the line Ill-I9 of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 a side elevational view of the valance of the umbrella as viewed from the right-hand end of Fig. 18;

Figs. 2l. 22 and 23 end elevational views of interacting louvers having modified forms of flange structures;

Fig. 24 a top plan view of a half of a lawn umbrella as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for mounting on a wall as a shade or for use as an awning over a window;

of the valance atraer? Fig. 25 a cross-sectional view taken along the line 25--25, Fig. 24;

Fig. 26 a cross-sectional view of a mounting bracket for the half umbrella, taken along the line 2li- 26, Fig. 25; and l Fig. 27 a cross-section taken along the line 21-21,Fig. 25.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the lawn umbrella comprises a hood I and top and bottom louvers 2 and 3, respectively, mounted on a suitable support as will be hereinafter described, the louvers having a general sloping form of um- 'brella shape, as shown at 4, terminating in a.

valance 5. The umbrella is mounted on a hollow column or standard 6 having an angle or ball joint 1 on which it may be tilted in the direction of the sun, and being secured in a stand pipe 8 that may be cemented as indicated at 9 in the ground or terrace as the case may be.

The construction of the louvers and their mounting on the umbrella support is more clearly shown in the remaining figures of the drawings, wherein in Figs. 10 to 13 the louvers 2 and 3 are shown blanked out as tapering from the valance end to the hood end. The lower louver is notched at I to the depth of its flange II and for a distance corresponding to the curvature I2, Fig. 3, at the valance. The top louver 2 is provided with sharp notches I3 forming sharp points I4 which abut, as shown at I5, Fig. 3, when the end of the louver is curt'ed at the valance. The bottom louver is provided with perforations I6, I1 and I8 and the top louver with perforations I9, 20 and 2I for fastening to thev hood supporting girder and to each other, as will be hereinafter explained.

With reference to Figs. 3 to 8, the hood I is secured to the standard 6 by angle pieces 23 riveted to the hood at 24 and secured to the column 6 by sheet metal screws 25. The upper louvers 2 are secured to the hood I by sheet metal screws 26, and the lower louvers 3 are secured to the hood l by a Z-shaped bracket 21 riveted to the hood I at 28 and fastened to the lower louver 3 by sheet metal screws 29. It is to be noted that the Z- shaped clamping bracket 21 is disposed inside of the louver 3 so that the latter may be adjusted longitudinally relative to the bracket in assembly, While at the same time the bracket 21 constitutes an end closure forthe louver 3.

The louvers 2 and 3 are further supported on an annular girder 30 which, as shown in Fig. 8. is formed of a strip 3| with an angle ange 32, the ange being provided with V-notches 33 which are brought into abutting engagement when the band 3l is curved as shown at 34 in the left-hand side of Fig. 3 of the drawing. The angular ange 32 of the girder is provided with perforations 35 that are so spaced relative to the notches 33 that when they are brought together, as shown in the curved portion 34, their spacing corresponds to the spacing of the perforations I1 of the lower louvers, Fig. of the drawings, to receive fastening screws 36, Fig. 3. The annular girder may be constructed in sections and assembled in annular form by the use ofsplice plates. not shown, extending across the joints of the sections and which are fastened to the band portion 3| by bolts or screws in a conventional manner.

As shown in Fig. 3, the annular girder 30 is supported by brace rods 31 which may be threaded to t into eye-ends 38 that are pivotally mounted at 39 to a sleeve 40 that is slidably mounted on the standard 6 and is fastened to its adjusted position by a set screw 4I. Rods 31 are connected at their other ends to post pockets 42 that are secured to the band 3I of the annular girder by screws, designated by the numeral 42a.

The upper louvers 2 are provided with perforations 20, Fig. 12, for receiving rivets 43 to secure Lshaped brackets 44 which are fastened to the band 3| of the annular girder by screws 45. The details of mounting of the upper and lower louvers 2 and 3 are shown in the enlarged View of Figs. 6 and 'I of the drawings.

With reference to Fig. 4, the louvers 2 and 3 are of dove-tail shape although, as shown in Figs. 21 to 23, they may be L-shaped or curved or of other suitable shape. They are spaced so that the anges II of the lower louvers and I Ia of the upper louvers interact to block the passage of light and to act as splash plates against the ingress of rain from theoutside to the inside of the umbrella. The valance of the upper louvers is formed by simply bending the end of the louver 2 untilthe points I4 abut at I5, as shown in Fig. 3. The shaping of the lower louvers, however, is accomplished by the use of anged arms or ribs 46 which have their ends slit at 41 and 48 and half of the slitted end offset to form ears 49 and 50. With reference to Fig. 10, the anged rib 46 is of a length to interact with the ends of the flanges at the notch IIJ and they are assembled by fastening the upper ear 49 around the end of flange II and then curving the valance portion as shown at I2 to the shape of the curve 5I of the iiange rib until the other end of the notch meets the ear lug 5I) of the flange rib with which it interacts by insertion therein. The flange rib 45 thus constitutes a shaping die and at the same time lls the gap of the notch I0 of the lower louver and reinforces the valance of the portion of the umbrella formed by the lower louvers.

Figs. 18 to 20 illustrate the construction and assembly of the louvers at the valance, the top and bottom louvers being joined or fastened together by screws 52. It is a feature of the invention to bring the upper and lower louvers in close proximity at the valance with the tips of the flanges II and IIa contacting the body of the louvers, as shown in Fig. 19, and to effect a spacing of the anges from the louver bodies on the sloped portion of the umbrella above the valance, this being accomplished by shaping the guide ribs 46 so that at their lower end, as viewed in Fig. 14, they correspond in width to the spacing between the louvers, as shown in Fig. 19, and at the upper left-hand end, as viewed in Fig. 14, of increased size to eiect spacing of the louvers beginning at the sloping portion above the valance at the end of the curve. In this manner the anges of the louvers are separated to permit the access and circulation of air between the louvers to keep the inside of the umbrella cool, or, in other words, to prevent heating of the louvers to a degree producing radiation of heat from the sun-exposed rooi:` to the interior of the umbrella.

It is a. primary object of the invention to construct the umbrella parts heretofore described in a manner to prefabricate them for assembly at the place of use. To this end it is to be noted that the dome or hood I is shipped with the angle brackets 23 and the Z-brackets 21 riveted thereon and is provided with perforations for the screws 26. The top louvers 2 are shipped perforated as shown in Fig. 12 and notched out as shown at I3 with the flanges turned in as shown in Fig. 13.

Also, the L-shaped clamping brackets 44 are riveted to the upper louvers at I3 before shipping.

As previously explained. the annular girder is shipped as straight sections notched and perforated as shown in Fig. 8 and is curved to an annular form at the place of assembly after joining the sections by splice plates as explained.

The umbrella structure is assembled as follows. The hood l is placed with the angle brackets 23 inserted in the top of column 6. It is held therein by the screws 25 as shown in Fig. 3. This anchors the hood to the post or column. The umbrella ferrule or sleeve 40 is then slid up on the column and anchored by the set screw 4|. The eye-ends 38 are then bolted to the lugs of the ferrule 4|! and the brace rods 31 are screwed into the eye-ends. The post pockets 42 are secured to the girder band 3| at properly spaced intervals determined by the perforations provided in the band 3l and the band is curved to the annular shape and lifted to the position where the brace rods 31 may be screwed into the post pockets 42. The umbrella column 6 is then screwed into the anchor post 8 as shown in Fig. 2, with the angle joint 1 assembled on the column.

Next, one of the lower louvers 3 is secured to the girder angle flange 32 by sheet metal screws 36, each of these screws being provided with a lead washer under the screw head. In assembling the lower louvers to the girder care must be exercised that the slot formed by the abutting ends of the V-notch 3 is directly underneath the center ofr the louver so that the perforations 35 adjacent the notches register with perforations I1, Fig. 10, of the lower louvers. Care must also be exercised to bring the louver 3 beneath the Z-clamping bracket 21. Additional lower louvers 3 are similarly assembled on the girder in angularly spaced relation at about six points to brace the girder and hood structure.

At this stage of the assembly the brace rods are adjusted by setting the ferrule I to provide the proper tension on the annular girder 30. The assembly of theremaining top and bottom louvers is then continued, as previously explained in connection with the above description of the structure, by fastening the upper louvers to the hood at 26 and by fastening the clamping brackets 44 to the annular girder by screws 45. The lower louvers are bent to form the valance and provided with the flanged ribs 46 as explained, and the upper louvers are bent over the guide ribs 46 to form the valance portion of the upper louvers.

The final act of assembly is. as shown in Figs. 18 through 20, by insertion of the fastening screws 52 through the perforations of the top and bottom louvers I8 and 2|, as shown in Figs. l0 and 12 of the drawings. When so assembled, the umbrella aords protection against sun rays and rain, and while the louvers, because of their interacting flange portions, vare sealed against rain, they are sufficiently open on their sloping portion to provide for the circulation of air between and beneath the louvers.

The louvers may be fabricated of light gauge aluminum or aluminum coated steel or other metals so that the entire assembly is not of a weight to be cumbersome in handling, the metal being of such gauge as to be readily curved as required in the assembly of the girder and the valance ends of the louvers. 'I'he assembled structure is not only useful but highly ornamental and can be provided in color combinations to be exceedingly attractive for lawn and country club use, picnic grounds. and other uses, such as the seashore particularly.

As shown in Figs. 24 to 27 inclusive, the structure of the lawn umbrella may be used as a wall shade or awning by using one-half more or less of the vumbrella featuring the same construction as shown in Fig. 3 and providing clamping means for attachment to the Wall which, as shown in Figs. 25, 26 and 27, may be as follows.

'Ihe hood portion I may be clamped on an angle bracket 55 which is bolted to the wall 56 by a bolt 51. The upper louver 2 may similarly be bolted to the wall by clamps 58 and bolts 59, the clamps having a hook end 6I! which seats in the base of the flange l la that abuts against the wall. Also the girder band 3l may be attached to the wall by an angle bracket 55,`as shown in Fig. 27, to which it may be riveted or bolted, as shown at 6|, Fig. 25.

Instead of the L-'shaped clamping members M which connect the upper louvers to the annular girder 30, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the upper louvers 2 may be fastened by clamps 63 that are screwed to the band 3| of the annular girder by sheet metal screws 64 as shown in Fig. 9.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction and in the selection of materials without departing from the principles herein set forth. For example, the louvers may be made of colored plastic materials and mounted on a frame structure such as herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. An awning umbrella comprising a central supporting column having a hood at the upper end thereof, a circumferential girder disposed beneath said hood and supported from said column, and cover louvers attached to said hood and to said girder, said louvers comprising sheets having their longitudinal edges shaped to form flanges at an angle less than a right angle, said louvers being curved at their lower free ends to form a valance, alternate louvers being disposed with their flanges in opposite directions, spaced and overlapping, whereby the flanges of adjacent louvers interact to permit the ingress of light and exclude rain and mist.

2. An awning umbrella comprising a central supporting column having a hood at the upper end thereof, a circumferential girder disposed beneath said hood and supported from said column, and cover louvers attached to said hood and to said girder having their longitudinal edges shaped to form flanges and Abeing curved at their lower free ends to form a valance, alternate louvers having their flanges oppositely disposed and overlapping, said flanged louvers being of substantially dove-tail cross section with their interacting flanges shaped to seal the umbrella against rain and constitute Ventilating slots for air and light.

3. An awning umbrella comprising a supporting column adapted for attachment to a base support, an annular girder connected by brace rods to a ferrule movable on said column, a substantially fiat cone-shaped hood mounted at the top of the column, a plurality of overlapping louvers formed of sheet material tapering in the direction of the apex of the hood and secured thereto at one end, said louvers comprising top and bottom members alternately disposed angularly of the-umbrella structure, each louver having side flanges with the flanges of the upper louvers depending and the flanges of the lower louvers upstanding, said flanges being shaped to interact and being spaced so that they are substantially coextensive to constitute baille walls to light and rain, said louvers being connected to said girder to be supported thereon and being curved downwardly at their ends to form a valance, and said top and bottom louvers being directly connected at their valance ends.

4. An awning umbrella as set forth in claim 3 in which the top louvers are directly connected at one end to the hood and provided with a clamping bracket attached to the umbrella girder, and the bottom louvers are provided with clamping brackets connected to the conical hood and being further directly connected to the girder adjacent their valance ends.

5. An awning comprising a supporting column, a circumferential girder adjustably mounted on said column, a hood mounted at the top of the column a louvered top for said awning comprising overlapping alternate top and bottom louvers tapered toward the apex of the awning and supported on said hood and girder, the upper louvers having depending flanges and the lover louvers having upstanding flanges shaped to interact to form partitions between adjacent louvers to seal the awning against direct light rays and rain, one end of said louvers extending beyond said girder and the upper louvers having their flanges notched at the extended end thereof for curving the louvers to form a valance, and the bottom louvers having a portion of their flanges cut away, and arcuate flange ribs having lugs for interacting with the flange ends at the cut-out portion of the bottom louvers, the body of the bottom louvers being curved to the shape of the flange rib, and the top louvers being supported on said flanged rib and fastened to the lower louvers at the point of overlap at the flange rib.

6. An awning umbrella comprising a supporting column, a circumferential girder adjustably mounted on said column, a hood mounted at the top of the column a louvered top for said umbrella comprising alternate top and bottom louvers tapered toward the apex of the umbrella and supported on said hood and girder, the up' per louvers having depending flanges and the lower louvers having upstanding flanges'shaped to interact to form partitions between adjacent louvers to seal the umbrella against direct light rays and rain, the upper louvers having their anges notched at the lower end thereof for curving the louvers to form a valance, and the lower louvers having a portion of their flanges cut away for receiving an arcuate flange rib having lugs for interacting with the flange ends Y at the cut-out portion, the body of the bottom louvers being curved to the shape of the flange rib, and the top louvers being shaped to and supported on said flanged rib and fastened to the lower louvers at the point of overlap at the flange rib, said flange rib having a lower dimension to permit contact of the flanges of the upper and bottom louvers with the main body of said louvers Vat the lower end of the valance and having its upper portion of a dimension greater than the depth of the flanges to effect spacing of the top and bottom louvers for Ventilating the umbrella above the valance.

7'. An awning umbrella comprising a supporting column, a substantially flat conical hood mounted on said column, an annular girder mounted on said column having brace rods connecting the girder and said column having a ferrule connecting said brace rods, said girder comprising an inverted L-shaped section with the upper leg notched to curve the section to the shape of the annular girder, flanged louvers connected at one end to said hood and supported and secured to said girder, said louvers consisting of top and bottom members having side flanges with the flanges of the top members extending downward into the space between upstanding flanges of the bottom louver members, the top louvers having attaching brackets integrally joined thereto for connecting to the annular girder and being attached at one end to the hood, the free extending end of the louvers being curved to form a valance around the periphery of the umbrella, the anges of the louvers being notched to allow for curving at the valance portion, and arcuate braces disposed between the top and bottom louvers at the valance having offset ears interacting with the flange portions at the notched ends of the bottom louvers and constituting spacers between the top and bottom louvers at the valance, said last-named braces functioning as a guide for curving the louvers to their proper shape to form the valance.

8. In an awning structure, a cover comprising a plurality of xed laterally spaced top and bottom louvers of channel shape having their flange Sides oppositely disposed with the flanges of the top louvers depending and the flanges of the bottom louvers upstanding, each of the ilanges of said louvers including inwardly turned portions and the flanges of the top louvers overlapping the flanged edges .of adjacent bottom louvers, and 45 the flanges of said top and bottom louvers having complementary shapes to provide overlap and constituting interacting baille walls between adjacent louvers for excluding direct light rays and rain, and means supporting said top and bottom 50 louvers with their overlapping flanges in spaced relation to form air circulating passages there between.

LEROY s. ESCHRICH.

5K REFERENCES CITED Thel following references are of record in th le of this patent: g

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 2,484,987 Eschrich Oct. 18, 1949 

